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Transcript © 2003 Hubmaker. All rights reserved.
Reproduction by any means strictly prohibited.
RECTOR'S NEWS LETTER
February 26th 1941
My
dear Lads,
This has been the first N. L. that I have found very difficult to
"write up". As I have said elsewhere I have only had two
letters this week and without the "extracts from Letters"
it is almost impossible to find enough interesting items to fill
the three pages. Well! lets say no more about it and hope for the
best in the days to come.
Now
just one word about what you are doing to keep Lent in some small
way, although I know that you are all kept well occupied. But after
all it is only the fool who neglects any part of himself and few
of you I suppose would deny that your soul is that. Whether you
acknowledge it or not your soul is always there and as the body
can only be strengthened and refreshed with material food and exercise
so it is equally true that your soul needs to be strengthened and
refreshed with spiritual food and exercise. And both are supplied
by God. Holy Communion for feeding the soul, Prayer for exercising
it. Think this over and make yourself the finest specimen of God's
creation - a perfect man - a perfect body containing a perfect soul;
something really complete.
Well
that is the end of my little talk this week. With my love and my
blessing, and as you know, my constant prayers.
Ever your affectionate brother, L. N. FORSE.
Extracts from Letters.
Here, for the first time in these letters comes a little grumble
from the Rector. This week he has only received two letters from
the lads away. Now, every one of you now reading this likes to know
that the others are doing. You can only do this when you and all
the others send a line quite regularly to the Rector so that he
can pass on a little bit for all to read. You must remember that
the Rector takes the trouble to write this letter to you every week,
that well over one hundred are sent to lads all over the world every
week, and that every letter costs him 2d to send: Naturally he wants
to feel that the contents are worth the postage. Everyone in Tarleton
knows the trouble he takes to find out any little bit of local news
that will be interesting to the lads away. He searches Rufford,
Hoole, Hesketh Bank and Bretherton and jots down all he can find
of interest. Well, as you will see this week he has only received
two letters and you will find the extracts below. But please do
not think that the Rector wants very long letters, although of course,
he likes to get these. Nor does he worry in the least about the
writing or the spelling. Just a few lines will be sufficient so
that he can pass on something to your old village companions.
Marine William Wright says that where he is they still get their
nightly call from the Hun, and adds "but we can take it"
and goes on to say "our ack-acks keep him up so that he cannot
aim proper." Wishes to be remembered to all the boys and says
that he is keeping in the best of health. AC2 William Molyneux sends
thanks for the N. L. and the Magazine and says that he has not very
much interesting news to send in return. Adds that he thoroughly
enjoyed the Church Service on Sunday although he does not say whether
it was in Camp or in the village Church. Mrs. Barnish of Hoole sends
a short letter to the Rector to say that she has received a letter
from her son Ted letting her know that he has had a good voyage,
and that on the ship they had a daily paper, printed on board, which
gave the News as they went along. He could not, of course, reveal
where he was sailing to. Also Mrs. Hind has received a letter from
her son Eric, also written on board ship saying that he went to
a Concert and one of the Announcements was "Now John Tindsley
will give a song". Yes! it was our John, son of Tom Tindsley
of Church Road. Where they are going to or whether they met on board
ship or at some port is not stated in this letter.
On Leave.
As you will see this has been quite a good week for leave; Gdsn
Kenneth Hind for 7 days embarkation leave; Harry Cookson for 7 days;
Abram Wright for 7 days; Joe Wait for 7 days; Harry Rigby for week-end;
Jimmy Latham for 7 days; John Wright for three days extension to
his convalescent leave owing to his little boy being ill; Billy
Benjamin for week-end; Jimmy Parkinson for week-end; Edwin Crabtree
for week-end; Harry Forrest (married Mollie Burns) for week-end.
Gdsn. Ted Baybutt (Hesketh Bank) for 7 days; Gdsn Aubrey Smith for
fourteen days convalescent leave; Gdsn Tom Watkinson (used to live
in Kearsley Ave. now lives at Longton, (old boy of Tarleton School)
for 7 days; Gdsn Hugh Adams for 7 days; Harry Buck (Hesketh Bank)
for 7 days; Corpl. Jack Bourn (Rufford) for 7 days.
Local Talk.
Mr. Dickinson's (Plox Brow) nephew, son of his brother at Kirkham,
has been killed in action in Libya. He often used to come to see
his cousins in Tarleton. John Craig (Stride) of Kearsley Avenue,
died on Tuesday: Is to be buried on Friday. A little girl, the only
child of an evacuee from London, lodging with Philip Rigby in Fermer
Road, died in Southport Infirmary on Tuesday and is be buried at
Tarleton on Friday: Her father is a soldier serving in the R.A.O.C.
A private car ran into a milk waggon on Bank Bridge on Sunday and
several cans of milk were thrown into the road. David
Hanson and John Hunter have both returned to Tarleton and are
waiting their final call up to the R.A.F. The Home Guard have a
route march almost every Sunday morning, and are now practising
bayonet fighting. This week the members of the British Legion Club
played two Billiards tournament matches with the Bank Hall contingent
and lost on both occasions. -Our team consisted of Jack Coulton,
J. Whittle, P.C.Simson, Nick Taylor, Tom Mayor, J.A. Barron, Tom
Iddon. The usual Shrove Tuesday Dance was held in the Schools this
year. Quite a good attendance and the fact that so many lads were
on leave made it all the more interesting. The local schools have
had three days holiday this week. Fire-watchers have been appointed
for most of the roads in the village, although there is some difficulty
in finding anyone who is not in one or other of the local national
services. Local-national makes what is called an oxymoron, but it
is the best we can do.
Gas!
Here is a nice little piece of doggerel which I have come across
in order to enable everyone to remember the names, the smell and
the effect of most of the gases that might be used. Not being an
expert I cannot guarantee that all the statements are correct, so
ask your Company or Battalion gas officer and see what he thinks
of it. Here it is:-
If you get a choking feeling and a smell of musty hay,
You can bet your bottom dollar that there's PHOSGENE on the way.
But the smell of bleaching powder will inevitably mean
That the enemy you are meeting is the gas we call CHLORINE .
When your eyes begin a twitching and for tears you cannot see
It's not mother peeling onions but a dose of C. A. P.
If the smell resembles pear drops, then you'd better not delay
It's not father sucking toffee, but that bally K. S. K.
If you catch a pungent odour as you're home for tea,
You can safely put your shirt on that they're using B. B. C.
And remember while geraniums look pleasant in a bed,
Beware their smell in war-time; if it's LEWISITE you're dead.
Lastly, Garlic, Onions, Horseradish, may decide to call
Take care, look out. It's MUSTARD, the deadliest of them all.
Orderly
Sergt, banging on door of hutment: "Put that light out".
Voice from inside: "It isn't a light Sergeant, its the moon"
. Orderly Sergt, "I don't care what it is, put it out."
Odds and Ends.
Harley McKean passed through the village with his wagon on Thursday
and was able to call home for just a short time. Mrs. Knight is
again giving us the use of the Cinema for a "show" on
behalf of the Mothers' Union knitting fund. Jack Mee's brother,
who is in the A.A was home for 24 hrs. this week. There is a proposal
on foot to have the British Legion Club room open all day for the
use of soldiers billeted in the district. |
